Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-04-07
, INTERSTATE COMMERCE.
The Commission will Have Many
Knotty Questions to Settle.

WASHINGTON, April 4.-The Inter
State Commerce Commission has this
morning promulgated the following
rule of proceeding:
"Applications made for the official
action of the Commission shall be
made by petition which shall set forth
the facts on which they are founded
and be verified by the oath of an appli-
cant or of some authorized agent or at
torney."
Senator Dolph presented to the Com
mission memorial from the board of
trade at Walla Walla in relation to
high charges. The memorialists pray
for relief in time to save this years
crop from exorbitant freight charges.
He also presented memorial from the
board of trade of Portland, Ore., in re-
lation to the long and short haul.
The memorialists set forth the ad-
vantages which Portland has enjoyed
as compared with interior points, by
means of her position upon the coast.
The water lines, they say, have fixed
the rates and the rail lines have follow
ed closely enough to prevent exclusion
from the traffic. The Canadian Pacific,
they further represent, built and sup
ported by the British government for
the purpose of holding and extending
British commerce to the detriment of
American interests, is another element
of the question.
The memorialists say they are not as
sured that the true meaning of the law
is such as to forbid the making of rates
to coast points in competition with
those of the water carriers and the
Canadian Pacific, yet if the Commits
sion so interprets the law, they ask the
prompt use of the dispensing power.
Congressman Butterworth of Ohio,
appeared with several gentlemen repre-
senting the "River interests" and
asked in their behalf an opportunity to
be heard in relation to the matters pre-
sented by the representatives of the
Southern Railroad and Steamship asso-
citation on Saturday. They were given
copies of such documents as were filed
by the railroad and withdrew to con-
slider what steps they would take.
Messrs. w. I'll. Ross, HI. ID. johnson,
S. Waxelbaum and J. f. Hanson, q
committee representing the chamber
of of Macon, Ga., were ac-
corded hearing on the subject
brought up by the Atlanta board and
the Southern railroad men on Satur-
day. They submitted an elaborate
written argument in support of the
petition for the suspension of the opera
ton of the long and short haul clause.
1t embodied schedules showing after
the law goes into effect that the rates
between Macon and northern points
will be increased from eighteen to
thirty per cent. The more sparely set
tied condition of the South and its de-
ficiencies in many respects as compared
with the manufacturing centers of the
North and East were fully set forth as
matters which made the conditions
substantially different from those
West, and which justify the interven-
tion was made that If the interpreta-
ton now threatened had been foreseen
when the bill was under consideration
the South would have opposed the
measure unanimously.
The following letter written by i'm
struction of the Commission to the
Canadian Express Co., explains itself:
Your letter of the 1st inst. requesting
the decision of the Commission upon
the question whether the Interstate
Commerce law applies to express COM
panies has been laid before the Com
mission and duly considered. If any
express company desires to be heard by
the Commission on the question YOU
raise, an early opportunity will be
offered for the purpose, but until such
hearing is applied for the Commission
will assume that the law does apply to
such companies.
T, M. COOLEY, Chairman.